Sonisphere organisers have confirmed that the festival has been cancelled this year blaming a ‘very challenging year’.

Adam Lambert was due to headline Sonisphere with Queen (Picture: AFP)

Queen and Adam Lambert, Kiss and Faith No More were due to headline at the event with Refused, Marilyn Manson, Evanescence, The Darkness, The Blackout and Skindred part of the line-up.

In an official statement, organisers said: ‘It is with very heavy hearts and much regret that we announce the cancellation of Sonisphere Knebworth 2012.

‘Putting the festival together in what is proving to be a very challenging year was more difficult than we anticipated and we have spent the last few months fighting hard to keep Sonisphere in the calendar.

Marilyn Manson was set to perform at Sonisphere (Picture: Reuters)

‘Unfortunately circumstances have dictated that we would be unable to run the festival to a standard that both the artists and that Sonisphereâs audience would rightly expect.’

It added: ‘We want to express our deepest regrets to the artists and to thank all the staff, suppliers and contractors who worked so hard with us to try and pull off what has proven to be an impossible task and we know how much they share in our disappointment.

‘We also want to send a huge thanks to the Sonisphere fans who stuck by us and we are so sorry that we can’t fulfil what we set out to do.’

Faith No More were one of the Sonisphere headliners

The festival is rumoured to have been cancelled over poor ticket sales.

All ticket holders will receive full refunds from their point of purchase.

Sonisphere isn’t the first festival to struggle in the current harsh economic climate with Oxegen and Big Chill axed this year while Glastonbury is having a fallow year.